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8. Earth 2086: The Genesis Mission – Origins #RRBC

A unique and colossal starship was commissioned by the UNSA (United Nations Space Agency) in January of 2061. The Agency created ten years earlier out of the remnants of several failed space agencies throughout planet Earth, believed it was time to build a vessel capable of deep space exploration and colonization. Their ultimate goal was to mount a colonizing mission to a planet, newly discovered by an unmanned probe. Scientists called the planet, Genesis. The bankrupted predecessors of the UNSA had abandoned the building of space stations and, for the past decade, the Agency had worked to create a shipbuilding yard on the Moon. Designed to build large and small craft simultaneously, Earth was on the precipice of the dawn of an Earth Navy in space.

The abject failure of national governments on the planet to effectively curb environmental degradation spurred many leaders to persuade their own national governments to empower the United Nations to develop and act upon new initiatives to save the planet for human habitation. The colonization of space was considered a prudent safety valve in the effort to save humanity from itself. It took eight years to design the colonizer and another fifteen years to build it.

During those decades, great strides had been made towards repairing the environmental damage on the planet’s surface. Unfortunately, a war broke out between radicalized believers of the great religions who had wrested control of their organizations from those of weaker faith and resolve. One group hired scientists to create the ultimate bioweapon – a self-aware, or sentient super virus to prey upon their enemies. Unfortunately, the virus had other ideas and decided to feast upon all humanity. The plague was dubbed the Omega Virus since all efforts to cure it ended in failure. The UN decided to launch the starship colonizer with almost a million, hand picked souls from every nation on Earth.

Prior to departure, UN Secretary General, Amy Valens, mandated the implementation of a significant policy designed to guarantee unity and cohesion aboard the colonizer. Roughly half of the selected ‘survivors’ were to be conditioned to believe in a religion concocted by a group of hastily assembled bureaucrats, who, after a few drafts, wrote a new set of Sacred Scriptures for the Unity National Church of the Gods. Their leader and supreme ruler of all persons aboard the colonizer was given the title, High Chancellor. A dozen chancellors who sat on the Chancellery Council would assist him. His word was law. The church-armed force, known as the Crusader Army, protected their authority.

The remaining colonists were not to be conditioned as Church believers out of fear that this manipulation might erase, or impair, their scientific and technological skill sets. The leaders of these people were the officers, enlisted men, and women of the Navy and the Navy Marine Corps. The balance of this Naval Class was comprised of civilian scientists, doctors, architects, engineers, businessmen, and businesswomen, who adopted the name of their class from their military leaders and personnel.

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the starship was named, UNS Divine Scepter by the first High Chancellor. Scepter departed from the Agency Yard on the Moon in 2086 to seek out a new home for humanity – Genesis.

Stay tuned for a tour of UNS Divine Scepter!

About John Fioravanti

Author, John Fioravanti writes non-fiction as well as fiction in the sci-fi genre. He's a retired secondary school educator and a lifelong learner. He considers himself a work in progress and welcomes the opinions and insights that others may have about his work. He prizes dialogue about meaningful topics, so please leave your thoughts!

8 thoughts on “8. Earth 2086: The Genesis Mission – Origins #RRBC”

John,
I realise that this is the backstory or part of the background for your Genesis series, but when I compare it to what is going on in our world today, your book becomes even more realistic. Thank you for an engaging article which hits very close to world events at this present time.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat

Thanks for stopping by with your kind words and your thoughts, Pat. Human nature has not changed since our species emerged from caves, and so the behaviours have been consistent down through the ages as well. I’m laying the groundwork for a new series down the line.

I appreciate your visit and your kind words, Yvette. I’m pleased you’re enjoying these snapshots of the early days on planet Genesis! Some day, after I finish The Genesis Saga, I’ll go back to the beginning and write a new series based upon these prequels.